'Generation Gap 2.0' Heats Up at Work

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Help Desk

58% of workers under 35 said younger employees help older ones learn how to use new technology, but less than half of those 35 or older agreed with that.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Late Adopters

53% of workers under 35 said older employees are typically reluctant to use new tech like social networks or WebEx, while no more than 45% of those 35 and older said this is the case.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Tech Limitations

About half of workers under age 45 said older colleagues are frustrating when it comes to IT usage, in contrast to 42% of those 45 and older who feel this way.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Socially Enabled

About three of 10 employees under 45 rely on social media to do their jobs, compared to one in five workers 45 and older who do the same.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Stalled Drive, Part I

At least seven of 10 employees age 35 and older become frustrated with younger colleagues' work ethics, compared with just 54% of those under 35 who do so.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Stalled Drive, Part II

At least two-thirds of those age 35 or older say Millennials are less likely to stay late, volunteer for new projects or otherwise demonstrate industrious qualities, as opposed to just 43% of workers under 35 who agreed.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Herd Mentality

61% of professionals under age 35 said there are generational "cliques" at their companies, and roughly the same percentage of those 35 or older agreed.

"Generation Gap 2.0" Heating Up: Older and Wiser

72% of those under age 35 said they learn more from older colleagues than younger ones, which is fairly close to how those over 35 responded.

With individuals' perceived sophistication about tech use often serving as a divider, a potentially destructive generation gap is building in the workplace, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Ricoh Americas. Younger employees say their older counterparts are slow to adopt new tech. Meanwhile, Gen Xers and Boomers criticize Millennials for being reluctant to work late and volunteer for new jobs. The tension is building toward what some call the "Generation Gap 2.0," a modern version of the generation gap of the 1960s. (That's when younger Americans were told: "Don't trust anyone over 30.") "Although Generation Gap 2.0 doesn't pervade the culture like the original generation gap did, it's no less a real phenomenon," said Terrie Campbell, vice president of strategic marketing for Ricoh Americas. "It's more of an undercurrent—a subtext—[but it's] definitely something business leaders need to manage. It has serious implications for teams, employee training and mentor relationships." This slide show reports on survey findings related to employees ages 18 to 54. More than 1,000 U.S. adults took part in the research.